Watermelon Gazpacho #Vitamix

Want something revitalizing for these sweltering, dog days of summer? Try some soup! Not hot soup, silly. I'm talking a lovely chilled soup, with a perfect balance of savory and sweet, plus a hydrating balance of potassium and sodium. 

This refreshing Watermelon Gazpacho is jam-packed with the gorgeous colors (and antioxidants!) of Nature's bounty. Plus, it's really easy to make!

Ingredients
serves 2-4

• 4 cups watermelon chunks + about 1/4 cup minced
• 2 cups seedless cucumber chunks + about 1/2 cup minced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper (or 1 whole, if you're a pepper fan)
• 1/4 red onion, chopped + 2T minced
• 1 clove garlic
• juice of 1-2 limes
• 2T red wine vinegar
• 1T extra virgin olive oil
• salt, to taste
• pinch or two of merkén (or spicy ingredient of your choosing), optional

All these gorgeous colors in one soup!

Place everything—except the minced ingredients—in a blender and puree till smooth. Adjust the salt and spice levels to your taste. To add some heat to the dish I used merkén, a smoked dried chile powder. I was introduced to it when I hosted a dinner party featuring foods from Chile; I think it paired wonderfully with the bright sweetness of the watermelon. You can certainly use whatever spicy ingredient you'd like, such as Tabasco or jalapeno or a serrano chile.

Once the soup is smooth, stir in the minced watermelon, cucumber and onions. Serve chilled. I added some extra minced melon and veggies to the top of the soup as a garnish; I think some crumbled feta would also be wonderful!